Sonic Workers Flee Cold-Blooded Intruder

Workers preparing burgers and shakes in a Sonic fast-food kitchen made a fast exit when they discovered a cold-blooded intruder lurking behind the deep fryer.

When employees of the Sonic drive-in in Brunswick, called 911 they described the suspect as being brown with diamonds on his back. Upon arrival, Lt. Matthew Wilson found the employees huddled up in the parking lot.

Officer Wilson removed the giant, non-venomous snake, then went the extra mile and found it a new home with a friend who likes snakes.

Wilson said the python likely slithered into the Sonic's kitchen through an open back door and found a cozy spot for its cold-blooded body behind the hot fryer.

Though it’s not known where the snake came from, Wilson said it had likely been a pet abandoned by its owner.

Eammon Leonard, an invasive species biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said snakes are often an impulse buy and owners find themselves having second thoughts as their pets grow larger than they had expected.

“It could be somebody just didn’t think through the consequences of a large snake as a pet,” Leonard said. “Some people have regrets later on and just release things. It is definitely irresponsible.